Lucy’s POV
On realising who the agent of chaos was, I couldn’t stop the surge of annoyance that went through my body, especially when I remembered the way she and her brother had spoken to me the other day.
“Are you alright in the head, or is that ponytail too tight for you? Who gave you the right to waltz in here and start making changes to this venue?” I asked Gert, clenching my fists by my side to stop myself from knocking her upside the head.
The woman didn’t even look remorseful at all, but then, that might have been wishful thinking in the first place. She didn’t appear to be someone who was able to take responsibility for her wrongs.
“I came here to make things proper. From what I’ve noticed, you have been doing a very poor job of organising things. But what else can one expect from a slave dragged out from a bottom-level pack?”
“A poor job? A poor job?” I pinched the bridge of my nose and pulled my lips into a smile I didn’t feel. Blew warm air out of my mouth. “Look, Gert, I don’t need any trouble from you. You’ve done enough. Now leave.” I pointed at the exit.
She folded her arms across her chest, staring at me from atop her Roman nose. “No, I’m not. I have every right to be here. If anyone should be leaving, it should be you.”
I clasped my hands together, even though I have rather squeezed them around her tiny neck. “Says who? You only just got here a few days ago, and now you think that you’re entitled to come here and act like the boss? Well, I’m sorry to inform you, but you’re not in charge.”
The triplets walked into the hall, led by one of the servants. Shaun and Scott stepped forward almost at the same pace till they were standing on either side of me protectively. The gesture warmed my heart a little.
Shaun was in a plain blue shirt rolled up at the sleeves and black pants. His long hair had been let down, covering the shaved sides; this look suited him. He looked like he was either just returning or about to attend something a little formal. Scott was similarly dressed, but the only difference was that his own shirt bore the colour of coal. His hair had even grown out a bit, giving him a rugged look that suited him better than his usual appearance.
“What’s going on here?” asked Shaun, although his eyes were already narrowed and pointed at Gert, who still stood facing us like a petulant child.
“Look around, she’s been making changes to the venue, and threatening the servants,” I said impatiently, already having a little headache just thinking about how I was going to fix things later. “I was supposed to finish everything up today, but she has set me back by hours.”
“Is that true, Gertrude?” asked Scott, looking just as serious as his brother.
She regarded her red nails non-chalantly, looking very similar to an inelegant ostrich. “I’m just doing my duties as the daughter of the Alpha’s brother, Scottie dearest. We all know that being related to you gives me that authority.”
“No, it doesn’t,” Shaun interjected curtly, “and if you don’t mind, it’d be better if you left this hall right now. You’ve been causing trouble all week al around Moongrowl, and this is simply the last straw.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” she said. “I have as much right to be here as you, and you can’t change that.”
“Look, I don’t know what stories you might have been told back at your pack before you came here, but you aren’t in charge here, we are. Your father is our uncle, and nothing more. He holds no right to this pack-or do you think that we don’t know that you’re only here because your family is neck-deep in debts?”
Gert’s eyes widened, but she quickly rearranged her expression. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” But from the way her eyes were blinking rapidly, it was obvious that Shaun had said the truth. “Why are you even taking her side? Have you forgotten that she was your father’s whore?” She pressed a hand to her mouth, her eyes taking on a sinister look. “Or, perhaps she’s giving you people the same treatment she did him? Is that why you’re all talking her side now-because she’s fucking you?”
Shaun stepped forward in a flash and grabbed her by the arm. A terrible, dangerous aura emanated from his form. “You’re crossing your boundary, Gert. Need I remind you that with one word, I could have you and your leeching family sent out of this pack?”
Gert grimaced from Shaun’s tight grasp, and all traces of humor fell off her face. “Shaun . . .”
“You will leave this place now, and you won’t return, do you understand me?” He leaned in close, growling in her face. When she didn’t respond immediately, she pulled her closer to him by the arm. “Do. You. Understand?”
Frantic, and definitely aware that Shaun wasn’t joking this time, she nodded her head quickly and practically stumbled towards the exit, tripping over her obscenely long gown.
“My father will hear of this!” she said when she was by the entrance, summoning some type of stupid bravery when she was out of Shaun’s reach.
Seth, who had been waiting by the door, shaoved her outside completely, rolling his eyes. “Do your worst, Gert. And tell your brother to stop tormenting maidens at the bar. Keep getting on our nerves, and you’ll get driven out of this place.”
Gert’s mouth immediately shut, and she stood there, watching us and shaking with anger until Seth slammed the door in her face.
“Sorry about that, Lucy. Can anything be done about the decorations?” aksed Shaun, who stepped so close that I started to smell his cologne.
I didn’t know how they were able to act like Gert hadn’t just insinuated that I was sleeping with all three of them like a whore. Although things had come very close to that, she made everything sound so corrupted and terrible. Now, I was filled with shame and guilt. Yes, it wasn’t my fault that I had been mated to all three brothers, but maybe it really wasn’t right for me to be close to all of them. Especially when I was only interested in one.
I had been hearing the nasty rumors about me taking turns to sleep with each brother, and the way they had become so protective of me wasn’t helping my case.
Shaun’s hand brushed my shoulder, and the sensation was so electrifying and I gasped. But all too soon, the sensation gave way to even more guilt, and I shrugged him off and stepped away from him and Scott, heading for the exit of the hall as well.
I needed some space to really think about my connection to them.
I needed some air.
“Thank you,” I said to the brothers, feeling their eyes on me. “I just need-I just need to get some air, alone.”
“Lucy, wait-” Shaun called out to me.
But I had already slipped through the exit, leaving them behind.